"Nivea: The Woman Behind Akroma"

"Nivea: The Woman Behind Akroma"

By:

Virgilio F. De Leon Jr., MD

Nivea.

Just seeing her among the spoilers for the Commander Mystery Booster brought a tear to my old, nostalgic heart.

I still remember reading the Odyssey storyline, where Nivea—the beloved wife of Ixidor—was slain by Phage the Untouchable in the Cabal fighting pits. It was one of those moments that reminded you Magic's story wasn't afraid to break your heart.

Overwhelmed by grief, Ixidor used his illusion magic to create an angel in Nivea's image. That angel would become the iconic Akroma, a creature that set the standard for what a powerful finisher looked like during her era.

Personally, I've always thought it would have been interesting if Akroma had retained more of the animalistic features that Ixidor gave her in the original story. It probably wouldn't have looked quite as elegant on an angelic figure, but it would have been a fascinating nod to her origins. Card Akroma is different from Story Akroma and it feels nice that only those who read the story actually know that. 

So seeing Nivea finally receive a card of her own warmed my nostalgic heart. Then I read the card and discovered that, after she dies, she creates an Akroma token.

Damn.

What a beautiful way to tell that story through gameplay.

I'm pretty sure an Akroma, Ixidor, and Nivea Commander deck won't be particularly good.

But you know what?

I'm going to build it anyway.